Orange most complained about mobile network provider, according to Ofcom report

Ofcom has released its annual report on the most complained about telecoms providers, with Orange being named and shamed as the mobile network coming in for most complaints.

The report covers the major companies that offer mobile, landline and fixed broadband services - those that hold more than 4 per cent market share. It takes into account the number of complaints received by Ofcom in respect of each provider's customer base and publishes them as a proportion, rather than a total. This way, Ofcom ensures that customers can "compare providers on a level playing field".

The latest figures are taken from Q4 2011, October to December, and assesses how many complaints were received per 1,000 customers.

In the mobile sector, as previously mentioned, Orange came out worst, with 0.17 complaints per 1,000 people. Three, the most complained about this time last year, came second in the hall of shame, with 0.15 complaints. T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone had 0.07. While O2 had a minute 0.02 complaints per 1,000 people, making it the least moaned about service.

Virgin Media and Sky came out top in fixed broadband services, with the latter just shading it on 0.17 over 0.18. BT was next, albeit with a large jump of 0.40 complaints per 1,000 customers. Then Orange fared better than it did in mobile (in chart position, anyway), with 0.48. But Talk Talk's 0.61 complaints put it right in the spotlight as the baddest of broadband bad boys.

Finally, Virgin Media also did very well in landline terms. It was the least complained about phone provider with only 0.18 complaints to Ofcom per 1,000 customers. Then BT with 0.23 and Sky with 0.24. But yet again, the worst offender, by a country mile was Talk Talk, with a massive 0.78 complaints per 1,000 customers. However, that was down from the 1.16 recorded in the same quarter the previous year.

Do you think Ofcom's statistics are right? What's your favourite mobile, landline or broadband provider? Let us know in the comments below...

Our senior ed of news and features has been a tech and games journalist for more than 27 years, and has been with Pocket-lint for over five. Rik has edited a number of videogame magazines in the past, was deputy editor of Home Cinema Choice, and his TV career included stints as co-presenter of Channel 4's Gamesmaster and Sky One’s Games World.